Love is Blind: Revised
by Fanlover14
Summary: What happens when a blind Ethan is left all by himself when brain eating freaks begin to take over the world. Will he perish, or will he find refuge in a fast changing world. Slash. Guy/Guy. Don't Like, Don't Read.
1. How It All Started

**Here is another chapter, another story being redone as I promised. Please Enjoy! Review my fans!**

1994: New Years Eve Toronto, Canada

Samantha Morgan laid back in the hospital bed as she screamed out, grasping her husbands hand and squeezing it for dear life.

"Just keep pushing baby, it's almost over!" Ross hollered, watching as the doctors and nurses scrambled around the room quickly.

"Ah!" she screamed, finally collapsing back into the bed as the doctor and nurses began to cheer as Samantha began to cry as the doctor held up a small crying infant.

"It's a boy!" the doctor said as he got a towel and began to wipe off the blood from the baby, it's cries like sweet music to his mother's ears as she held out her arms and sobbed happily. Samantha watched as the doctor wrapped the baby in a baby blue towel before carefully handing him over to her. Ross leaned in as they both stared down into the baby's vibrant brown eyes, both of them crying as they smiled at the newborn. Samantha wiped at her eyes with her free hand as the baby began to look up at them both with wonder in his eyes, staring between his mother and father.

"Hey buddy, I'm your daddy! This is your new mommy!" Ross said with excitement, choking back sobs as the baby grasped onto his finger and began to try and squeeze it.

"Ethan...I want to name him Ethan." Samantha said as she looked over at her husband, nodding his head in agreement as they both looked back down into Ethan's eyes.

"My sweet Ethan." Samantha said as she watched baby look up at her before a smile graced his face. "Mommy and daddy will always love you, no matter what." Samantha said as she reached up and ran her fingers across Ethan's tiny fingers as the baby cooed at smiled at them.

"Happy New Years!" came the cries of nursing staff from the hallway as the doctors and nurses began to cheer happily, Samantha still staring down into Ethan's brown eyes.

Years Later

Ethan Morgan ran around a small living room with a younger girl at his side, both of them smiling and giggling as they ran around in circles.

"Don't run around that table you two!" came a older voice as a gray haired woman walked into a nearby doorway and scolded them both.

"Sorry mema! We were just playing tag." Ethan said, his little sister giggling still as she collided into him. Both of them looked at their grandmother as she put her hands on her hips before finally smiling at them both.

"Oh come on you two, come help grandma make some cookies!" she said, clapping her hands together as the two young children screamed in excitement before running past her into the kitchen. Ethan stood on his tiptoes as he tried to reach a bowl with freshly made cookie dough inside.

"Ethan, you know your mother said you can't eat raw cookie dough!" the older woman said as she walked over and pushed the bowl farther out of reach.

"Mema! I only want a little bit!" Ethan pleaded, staring up at his grandmother as she looked down into his brown eyes.

"No Ethan, you can get really sick from raw cookie dough. Jane! Don't touch that, it's sharp!" cried out the woman as she raced over to Jane who was holding a chef's knife. Ethan took the chance to jump towards the counter and sneak a bit of cookie dough from the spoon used to mix the bowl. He smiled to himself as he put the small glob of dough in his mouth before returning his attention to both his grandmother and little sister squabble as his grandmother took the big knife away to Jane's disappointment.

"I swear, what will I do with you two?" the older woman asked as she shook her head slightly before putting the knife away and returning to the counter.

Two Weeks Later

Samantha Morgan sat at her son's bedside, dabbing a small wet cloth to his forehead. Frowning, she put the rag down before taking a small thermometer from his lips.

"A hundred and three...shit." Samantha said as she stood up and walked out of the room, walking into a large living room where Ross was playing with their younger daughter.

"Ross, Ethan is going to have to go to the hospital. His temperature still hasn't gone down since last night. He won't quit getting sick and he's extremely pale. I just don't know what to do!" Samantha said, bringing a hand to her mouth as she choked back a cry.

"Hey now, don't cry sweetie. He's going to be just fine. You get Jane in her car seat and I'll get Ethan out of bed." Ross said as he walked over to his wife and put his hands on her shoulders. She nodded her head as she walked over to Jane who was playing with a few dolls.

"Come on sweetheart, mommy and daddy are going to take Ethan to the doctor." Samantha said as Ross left the room to get Ethan.

"Is bubby going to be okay?" Jane asked, looking up at her mother with concern as Samantha reached over and traced her fingertips through Jane's hair.

"He's going to be just fine baby doll, the doctors will make him all better. Now come on, you can bring your dolls with us too." Samantha said as Jane smiled again, turning around as she collected her dolls in her arms.

That Night

Ross sat in the waiting room of the ER with his son in his arms, slowly rubbing his back as he looked around at the other waiting patients. A nurse sat up at the information center, typing away on a computer as Jane played with a few other small kids in a nearby play center.

"Where's the damn doctor! We've been waiting for hours now!" Samantha said with clenched teeth, Ross using one of his hands to reach over and rub her knee soothingly.

"It'll be just fine baby. I'm sure it won't be much longer now." Ross said, his son beginning to cough loudly into his side.

"Daddy? Mommy? Where are you?" came Ethan's voice as he leaned back from Ross's grip, his eyes open as he looked around.

"We are right here buddy." Ross said, smiling down at his son who was now looking around the room with a bit of fear in his eyes.

"Where...I can't see you! It's so dark!" Ethan said, tears beginning to fill inside his small brown eyes as Samantha jumped up from her chair and raced to his side.

"Ethan, can you see mommy. Look towards me!" Samantha said, their faces falling as their son looked around the room with his eyes wide open searching for her.

"I can't see you mommy! What's going on! Why can't I see you!" cried Ethan, Samantha's face going pale as she waved her hand in front of her sons face to no avail.

"Will somebody get a damn doctor in here, my son can't see!" Samantha cried out as a nurse from the information center went running into the back, coming back out shortly with a doctor hot on her heel. Ethan was crying loudly by now as Samantha watched the doctor and a few nurses take him from Ross's arms before putting him on a stretcher.

"Mommy! Daddy! What's going on, where am I?!" Ethan wailed, his parents both crying as they held onto each other as the doctor rushed Ethan through a set of double doors.

A Few Hours Later

Samantha dabbed at her eyes as she sat by her son's hospital bed, Ethan fast asleep by now as Ross paced back and forth in the room. She looked over at her mother as the older woman held a sleeping Jane in her arms.

"Thanks again for coming out mom." Samantha said with a raspy voice, dabbing at her eyes again as her mother looked at her.

"Sweetie, it's the least I could do." her mother said as she dabbed at her eyes as well before a doctor knocked on the door to the room lightly before entering.

"What's going on with my son!" Ross whispered, the doctor looking between both parents with a solemn look before looking down at a chart.

"Your son seems to have contracted a sever case of salmonella poisoning. It could have come from eating any dairy product or anything that had raw egg uncooked inside." the doctor said as he walked over to Ethan's bedside and took the boy's temperature once more.

"That still does not explain why my son can't see anymore!" Samantha said quietly, looking over at Ethan as he slept.

"That's the bad news about all of this. When Ethan's temperature began to rise more and more, it basically sent his body into overdrive being he's so young. His optical nerves were damaged from the fever, the nerves that control sight." the doctor said as Samantha and Ross stole a look at each other before looking back.

"How long will the blindness last?" Ross asked, the doctor looking down for a quick second as he grabbed his chart once more.

"I...I'm afraid the damage to the nerve is permanent. Your son will never regain his sight back. If we had caught the disease sooner, it may have changed things. I'm terribly sorry...I'll contact a hospital therapist and have him come talk to you all. Again...I'm so very sorry." the doctor responded, Samantha shaking her head back and forth as she began to sob quietly. Ross staggered back until his back was against the wall, sobs of his own. Samantha got out of her chair as she carefully knelled down beside Ethan's bedside and traced her fingers over his cheek, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Oh Ethan...I'm so sorry." she whispered between sobs as the doctor slipped out of the room, both parents at their son's side as he slept; unaware of everything.

**So, what do y'all think? Let me know in your reviews!**


	2. Use Your Heart

**Hey guys, thank you for being such loyal readers of mine! Your reviews make my day! Please continue to enjoy my work and be as great as you are! Enjoy this new chapter!**

2009: Toronto, Canada

Ethan Morgan stood there in the school, holding his books close to his chest and a plastic stick in his hands. He could hear everyone else walking around him as he felt his mother rub his shoulder soothingly.

"Sweetie, it's okay to be afraid." Samantha said as she directed Ethan's face to her, taking off his black frames around his eyes as she traced her fingers across his cheek.

"What if they don't like me...I..I can't see anyone." Ethan said, his eyes closed as he gripped his stick tightly.

"Sweetheart, it doesn't matter if you can't see anyone. When you can't use your eyes, you use your heart. See with that, feel with that, and you can go anywhere." Samantha said, placing her hand over Ethan's beating heart as Ethan nodded his head before a small smile cracked around his lips.

"I love you mom." Ethan whispered, his mother reaching up and wiping at her wet eyes as she tried to stifle back sobs.

"I love you too sweetie, more than anything in this world. Eyes or no eyes, your still my baby boy." Samantha said as she brought her son in for a hug, holding him against her bosom as she looked over at the high school principal who was waiting on them patiently.

"You'll be waiting for me after school?" Ethan asked, breaking away from his mother's hug as he looked up towards her face.

"Your dad and I will be here shortly after three. Now go and enjoy your first day of high school sweetie." Samantha said as Ethan nodded his head before the principal walked over to them, her heels clicking against the floor.

"We here at Toronto High welcome you Mr. Morgan. I'll be taking you to your first class, would you like to take my arm?" the woman said, reaching over and grasping Ethan's hand as he shook his head.

"I've got this, just...keep talking so I can follow your voice." Ethan said, the principal smiling as she waved at Samantha before her and Ethan began walking away. Samantha stood there, a smile on her lips as she brought a napkin to her eyes before turning around and walking out of the school.

A Few Months Later

Ethan waited outside the school as students walked past him, all chattering and talking amongst each other. He waited to hear his mother's voice like he usually did when she picked him up after school.

"Hey Ethan, your mom still hasn't shown up yet?" came a nearby voice as Ethan turned his head into the direction of the voice.

"Oh, hey Sarah. No, I haven't heard her yet. It's been almost fifteen minutes, she should be here by now." Ethan said, turning his head back into the direction of car doors closing as kids got picked up by their parents.

"Oh, well would you like me to wait with you? My mother is going to be a little late anyways." Sarah said back, Ethan nodding his head as a smile came to his lips.

"Thank you Sarah." Ethan said, sitting his cane down as he bent down and felt the ground before taking a seat. He could hear as Sarah joined him in sitting on the ground in front of the school, both of them just sitting there as other students passed them by.

"So Ethan...are you enjoying high school so far?" Sarah asked, Ethan thinking back to all the new voices he had heard and the smells of the cafeteria and classrooms.

"Yea, for the most part. I..uh..don't talk much to others though." Ethan stated, Sarah rubbing her arm nervously as she looked at his black frames around his eyes.

"Is it..because of the blindness?" Sarah asked, Ethan taking a minute to ponder over everything before turning his head to the side.

"I just sometimes think it would be better if I stuck to myself. I've...been blind almost my entire life, I don't remember much. I can remember vaguely what colors look like, what my mother's face looks like...what I look like. To me...the world is black, filled with emptiness surrounded by voices and smells. I can't tell if it's sunny or cloudy out, can't tell if it's day or night. The only way I can tell if I'm awake or just asleep, is by my thoughts running through my head when I wake up. That's how I know I've woken up, and it's not just a black dream, or nothing at all. I figure if people don't have to put up with me much, they don't have to pity me or feel sorry for me. People are afraid of the unknown, afraid of what they can't understand. People look at me, and they think 'How can someone live in a world where they can't see anything' or 'I can't imagine not being able to see anything anymore'. So by separating myself from them, they don't have to think those thoughts, don't have to imagine my life." Ethan said, the sound of students dissipating as silence began to fall over them both.

"I'm...sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up...I'm not like others. I have to wear hearing aids because my hearing isn't as great as most peoples, but I still try and make friends, be out there and associate with others. I don't ever feel like I have no help, I've had rainbows in my clouds. You need to prepare yourself to be a rainbow in someone else's cloud, somebody who may not look like you. Somebody who may not call God the same name you call God, if they call God at all. I may not eat the same dishes prepared the way you do, may not speak your language, may not dance the dances you do, but I can be a blessing to somebody. That's what I think, no matter how or what makes us different. Your blindness makes you unique, makes you appreciate more. You hear the birds a little better than I, hear the sound of the wind off the flowers a little better than I. You can smell the apple pie baking in the oven before I ever could, smell the scent of lilies better than I could, smell the cologne or perfume of somebody you love better than I could. You may be blind, but it's opened a whole new world of feeling for you. Don't see it as a negative, but as a small thing that makes you more unique that others in a way. It's not our differences that divide us Ethan, but our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences. Be happy with who you are, and who you'll become." Sarah said, Ethan looking down as he felt a hand take his and squeeze it before they both heard a car horn honking.

"Sweetie? Who's that with you?" came a unfamiliar woman's voice as Ethan looked in the direction of the sound.

"It's my new friend Ethan mom! Hey Ethan, being that your mother and father aren't here yet, would you like to come home with me? My mom can call them on her cell." Sarah said, Ethan taking a minute to think as he bit his lower lip.

"Yea, sure. It beats sitting out here alone." Ethan said with a small chuckle, standing up as Sarah helped him up before letting her direct him to her mother's car.

A Few Days Later

Ethan sat in his room on the edge of his bed, tears running down from his eyes as he sobbed heavily. He stood up as he tried to feel his way around his room, finally tripping over something as he fell onto the floor with a loud thud. Ethan balled his fists together as he screamed loudly before punching his fist into the hardwood floor multiple times. Ethan suddenly felt a pair of arms encircle him as they pulled him close, his crying intensifying as he tried to break from the grip only for the arms to hold onto him tighter. The scent of lilac perfume drifted into his nose before he finally dug his head into his grandmother's chest and sobbed. He clutched onto her silk shirt as she positioned her legs and held him, rocking him back and forth as she rubbed his back.

"They are gone! Just gone! I didn't even get to say goodbye!" Ethan screamed in between sobs as his grandmother leaned her head down into his, tears of her own running down her cheeks as she let a soft sob escape her lips.

"I know baby, oh God I know! I've got ya...grandma's here." the older woman said, rubbing Ethan's face with small hands lined with age.

"Why did he take them...why did God take them from me!?" he sobbed, his grandmother sobbing heavily by now as well.

"Sweetie, I don't know. God works in mysterious ways...but...wherever they are...I know they are looking out for us now." she said, Ethan finally calming down as his sobs began to quiet as he sniffled into his grandmother's shirt. Ethan felt his grandmother's body sway back and forth before he finally felt her withered hands grab his cheeks before leaning him back. He kept his eyes closed as she rubbed the tears away from his cheeks.

"Ethan, I can't bring them back and I'm so sorry. We've got to keep it together for your sister though, Jane is counting on us now! We've got to be there for each other...now more than ever sweetheart. I love you sweetie, and I love Jane too. Grandma's not going anywhere okay...help me through this too." his grandma said, Ethan nodding his head as he let a tear fall from one of his eyes once more. Both of them hugged as they cried a bit more into each others shoulders, the sound of rain hitting Ethan's bedroom window.

**So, what do y'all think? Let me know!**


	3. Not A Dream

**Hello my readers! Enjoy this new installment of Love is Blind! Please Review!**

2015: Toronto, Canada

Ethan sat on his couch as his seeing eye dog rested it's head near his lap. He brushed his fingers through the long and mangy fur, the dog clearly wagging it's tail as Ethan smiled to himself.

"American officials are still scrambling to find the start of what appears to be a new form of Rabies rapidly spreading through the country. Over two thousand are reported dead from the recent outbreak in New York City alone. President Obama and his family were airlifted out of Washington D.C today as the historic city was put into quarantine for the first time since the virus was first spotted in Charleston four months ago. In another historic move, the Canadian Parliament has shut down the Canadian border into America for health and safety concerns. Other countries have reported incidents of the new Rabies virus as well, as many as fifty countries so far now have confirmed cases which are rapidly multiplying." came a voice from the TV as Ethan reached over and grabbed the TV remote before turning it onto shuffle. Ethan heard a familiar knock on his front door before he heard it open and close as feet began to shuffle across the wooden floors.

"Hey Ethan, I'm back from the store. They were all out of the milk you drink with your coffee so I had to substitute. Is Samuel ready for his haircut today?" came his old friend Sarah's voice as he listened to her walk into the kitchen and set down a few plastic bags.

"Yea, his fur is getting too long. Isn't that right boy?!" Ethan said in a baby like voice as his dog barked and began to lick his face as Ethan laughed and giggled.

"Well, let me put these up and I'll take him out for his little haircut." Sarah said from the kitchen as Ethan stood up and felt around the arm of the couch for his stick. He finally felt the long tube of plastic before tapping it against the ground and walking into the kitchen. Ethan smelled something sweet as the smell of chocolate fudge hit his nose.

"Sarah...did you get...a double chocolate cheesecake?!" Ethan said exictedly, earning a small laugh from his dear friend as he heard the refrigerator door open and close.

"God, I can't get anything past your sense of smell can I? Yes I did get one, it's your birthday here in a few days and I know how you love chocolate cheesecake." Sarah said, her heels clicking against the floor as Ethan listened to her start rummaging through another bag of groceries.

"Thank you Sarah...God, what would I do without you?" Ethan asked, bumping into a stool at the island bar before taking a seat and setting his cane down.

"Oh I don't know, probably bump into every thing known to man?" Sarah replied with a chuckle as Ethan smiled back.

"It means a lot to me that you stay with me and help me with things." Ethan said before he heard the click of Sarah's heel step towards him, a hand landing on his shoulder.

"Ethan, we've been friends since high school. We have each others backs, friends forever. Oh, which reminds me. Your grandmother called while you were in the shower this morning and said she wouldn't be able to attend your party this Saturday due to the travel restrictions placed on the roads. She did say that she sent a card ahead and a small surprise of her own. Jane also sent me a text saying she would be late to dinner tomorrow, her boyfriend won't be getting off till seven." Sarah said as she let go of Ethan's shoulder and walked back to the grocery bags.

"Well, as long as she makes it at all. With college and Shane, she barely comes to see me anymore." Ethan said, his voice laced with a backdrop of sadness. Ethan sat there and clasped his hands together as he fiddled with his fingers.

"Ethan...you okay?" Sarah asked, the grocery bags no longer making noise as Ethan looked up and nodded his head.

"Yea...just thinking about mom and dad. I wish they could be here to see me turn twenty...feels like just yesterday sometimes that I lost them to that damn...drunk driver." Ethan said with a momentary lapse as he steadied his breathing before shaking away the thought.

"Ethan, I know they'd give anything to be here and see you right now. Your mom and dad were two wonderful people...and they loved you very much." Sarah said, walking over as she stood in front of Ethan before pulling him into a hug.

"I know...and I loved them too. I just wish...wish I would've said goodbye." Ethan said, reaching up and wiping a single tear away before he felt Sarah's hands on his cheeks as she directed his face to look at her.

"Hey, listen to me. Please, don't worry so much. In the end, no one of have very long on this Earth. Life is fleeting, and filled with so many things, make your life spectacular." Sarah said, Ethan nodding his head as he felt his friend wrap her arms around his neck as she hugged him before walking off back to the groceries again.

Later That Night

Ethan sat in his living room as he traced his fingers over a small braille comic, the TV playing in the background. He smiled and chuckled as he traced his fingers over a funny joke in the comic as piano music played on the TV. Ethan reached over to his side as he plucked a grape from a bowl and guided it to his mouth. He then reached into his pocket as he took out his small cell phone before holding it to his mouth.

"Call Sarah Fishman." Ethan said, the phone beeping in reply before it began to ring. Ethan sat there as the phone rang and rang before finally cutting to voice mail.

"Hey Sarah, I know your out and about with Samuel. Give me a call when you can, it feels like you've been gone forever." Ethan said before tapping a side button, hanging up on the call. Ethan suddenly heard a car screech to a halt before a loud explosion rang out from outside the windows before screams began to echo outside.

"Oh my God!" Ethan said as a few car alarms began to go off across the apartment complex. Ethan reached for his phone once more as he pressed another side button meant for emergency calls only.

"All operators are busy now, please hang up and try your call again. All operators are busy now, please hang up and try your call again." came the automated voice as Ethan stood up and slowly felt his way over to the windows. Ethan could tell Sarah had left the blinds down as he felt them move as he leaned against the window to listen. Ethan could hear snarling from outside before a woman's scream pierced the night air, sending Ethan back up before practically tripping over the coffee table to turn the TV off. Ethan felt along the walls as he finally found the light switch and switched the lights off, blacking out his apartment windows from any searching eyes. Ethan pulled out his phone once more and brought it to his mouth as he pressed the same button as earlier again.

"Call Sarah Fishman." Ethan said as the phone beeped back before it finally began to ring again.

"Ethan! Is that you!?" came Sarah's panicked voice as Ethan bumped into the back of a wall and slid down it.

"Sarah, I just heard a loud car crash outside and screams. What's going on!?" Ethan asked as he heard gunshots sound off from somewhere in the apartment complex.

"Ethan, listen to me. Lock the door to the apartment and don't make any noise that could be heard outside." Sarah said as Ethan heard more screams begin to erupt from where the gunshots had been shot at.

"Sarah, what's going on?!" Ethan asked worriedly, his blood pressure beginning to rise as he heard another car plow into something else outside.

"It's that virus we've been hearing about on the news. It's broken through the containment system at the border. I was just getting Samuel's haircut whenever these people plowed through the glass of the store and began attacking people. This old bitch fucking bit my leg as I was trying to get out, I'm bleeding pretty badly. I'm with a few others locked in the safe room in the back of the store. Whatever you do Ethan, do not open the front door!" Sarah said before Ethan's signal cut out, the call ending as Ethan dropped the phone and slowly slid back up the wall. He reached his arms out in front of him as he turned in the direction he knew the door would be, finally bumping into the wooden door as he traced his fingers down to the knob. Ethan grabbed the lock and turned it before locking the deadbolt as well, slowly backing away from the door as more and more gunshots sounded off from outside somewhere. Ethan bumped into another wall as he slowly made his way to the side before coming to another doorway. He slipped into the room before closing that door behind him as well, finally backing up into his bed as he climbed into and curled his knee's close to his chest. Suddenly a deafening siren began to sound throughout the city streets, reverberating off of his bedroom windows as Ethan put his hands over his ears and rocked back and forth.

"Just be a dream, please just be a very bad dream." Ethan said as the siren continued to ring throughout the night air, the sound of a helicopter flying overhead somewhere.

"Please...just be a dream." Ethan said once more before finally falling off to his side and curling up by himself in bed, the siren still ringing outside.

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	4. Everyone Deserves A Chance

**Hello my fans, please enjoy this new installment of the story. Review my lovelies!**

Two Months after Border Collapse: Toronto, Canada

Benny Weir drove down a abandoned suburban street as he passed burnt out cars and a overturned city bus. He looked out his window at a large puddle of dried blood smeared over a sidewalk near the city bus, bodies of the deceased having been clearly dragged out and feasted upon by the infected. Benny looked to his other side at the skeleton of a house, it's ruins still smoldering lightly as a few crows pecked at a body of a young child in the front yard. That's when he saw it, a large apartment building fairly untouched by the surrounding devastation. Benny pulled into the parking lot before stopping near the front entrance, he could tell it had been barred closed as large filing cabinets could be seen blocking the doors through the glass. After putting the car in park, he got out as he grabbed his pistol and holstered it before then grabbing a shotgun from the passenger seat. Benny closed the door to the car quietly before holding his gun up and slowly stepping closer to the building. He could hear the crunch of broken glass under his boots as he advanced towards the doors before finally noticing bloody hand prints littering the remaining glass door. Benny grabbed hold of one of the filing cabinets and pushed it to the side before stepping through the broken doorway. A light flickered inside the main lounge as cables and wires hung down from the ceiling in the leasing office. Benny noticed a half eaten dog laying in the middle of the floor, bloody footprints surrounding the gory mess. He knelt down as he inspected the animal, noticing a small blue collar on the dogs neck.

"Samuel...sorry this happen to ya buddy." Benny said with a hint of sadness before standing once more and continuing his trek through the apartment building.

A Hour Later

Benny did a quick turn around with his weapon at the ready before coming to a white wooden door. As he jiggled the handle, he could tell the door was dead bolted shut. Benny turned around to move onto the next apartment, before suddenly hearing movement from inside. He brought his weapon close before rearing his leg up and smashing his boot into the door, sending the wood into a shower of splinters as it flew open. Benny turned on his flashlight before placing it at the tip of his weapon in a small slot, looking into the dark apartment cautiously before stepping over the chunks of splintered wood. He walked into a large living area, untouched as if nothing had changed since the virus overtook Toronto. Benny tip toed over towards the windows, the blinds still down as he lifted a few up and peered outside. He could see a perfect view of downtown Toronto in the distance, smoke billowing from a few of the buildings as clouds drifted over the city. Benny turned around as he carefully advanced further into the apartment building, turning into a small side room with it's door ajar. He looked over at the walls where several picture frames were mounted. Shining his light on one, Benny could see a picture of a young mixed woman smiling next to a young Caucasian man with dark framed glasses around his eyes. Benny left the room as he made his way into a small kitchen adorned in a ocean like theme with bowls of shells everywhere. He leaned forward as he opened the door to the refrigerator, the whole thing almost completely empty. Benny suddenly heard something fall from behind another door as he turned on his heel and cocked his weapon. He could feel his heartbeat begin to race as he stepped towards the door carefully, his weapon at the ready. He slowly reached down and grabbed the door handle before turning it slowly and letting the door creak open by itself. Sunlight streamed into the what he could see was a bathroom from two other windows inside it. Benny stepped inside as he aimed his weapon around the room before a shower with the curtains pulled captured his attention. Benny made his way closer to the shower as he reached his arm out, his fingers ready to snatch the curtain away. Finally his fingers came into contact with the silk like curtains as he took in a deep breath, suddenly tearing the curtains away as he aimed his gun inside the shower. A soft whimper erupted from a person inside as Benny's face fell from the sight. A young man sat curled up in the tub with his arms defending his face as he began to cry.

"Oh my God." Benny whispered as the man cowered inside the tub, his body shaking from fear as Benny knelt down and set his gun aside.

"Please...don't hurt me." the man said, his voice raspy and his teeth chattering together as Benny reached out and gripped the man's arms before slowly tugging them away from his face.

"I'm not going to hurt you." he whispered softly, the man looking up at his face with his eyes remaining closed. Benny could tell he hadn't eaten in awhile, his arms and neck looked malnourished as Benny watched the man continue to shake in fear.

"Who are you?" the man asked, holding his knee's close to him as Benny inspected his frail body.

"My names Benjamin Weir, I'm a survivor. Who are you? Have you been locked up in this apartment this whole time?" Benny asked, poking his hands over the young man's sides. He could slightly feel the beginnings of his ribs through the thin hoodie he was wearing.

"My names Ethan Morgan. I can't leave...I've been stuck here for two months I think...I've lost track of time." Ethan said, his voice quivering from the cold as the autumn frost clung to the outside of the windows.

"Why can't you leave?" Benny asked, before the man finally opened his eyelids exposing two milky gray orbs staring back. Benny's mouth fell slightly, the brown of Ethan's eyes showing through the milky haze over them.

"I..I can't see." Ethan said as Benny looked away for a moment, his heart breaking as he began to imagine how life must have been like for the past two months for this guy.

"Ethan, you can't stay here. Your going to die if you do, I've got room in my car for you." Benny said, watching as the smaller of both of them closed his eyes once more as he began to ponder.

"I can't leave...my friend Sarah told me she would be back for me. I've been waiting for her...if I leave then she will think something bad happened when she finally gets back." Ethan said in return, Benny thinking back to the woman he saw in the pictures.

"I don't think she's coming back...I've been out there, I haven't come across another live human in three weeks. Your fridge is empty, you have no food, you look like you've barely made it by as it is. You've got to come with me, or you will die. I'm not going to leave someone completely defenseless behind to die or be killed by one of those..things." Benny said before reaching into the tub and wrapping his arms around Ethan's waist and picking him up. Benny felt Ethan try and protest by trying to flail with little remaining strength he had left, but to no avail. He leaned down and picked up his shotgun as he left the bathroom and walked out of the apartment. He could feel Ethan go limp in his arms as he used his remaining strength, his breathing heavy and raspy by now. Benny finally walked out of the apartment building as he returned to his car, opening the side door as he set Ethan down inside.

"Why are you doing this...I'll only slow you down." Ethan protested, shivering from the cold wind as it blew into the car.

"Everyone deserves a chance at life, even those with disabilities. I couldn't leave you behind to die alone and by yourself." Benny said before reaching over Ethan's seat and grabbing a blanket he kept in the back of his car. He slowly tucked it around Ethan's body before reaching into the glove box and grabbing a small wrapped sweet, placing it into Ethan's hands.

"Now eat...you've got to get your strength back up or your body will begin to shut down." Benny said before closing the door and walking around and getting back into the drivers side. Benny started the car once more as he looked off to the side, a infected woman slowly shambling through the road. Her long black hair dangling in front of her bloodied face as she limped from a wound on her leg. Benny finally put the car in reverse before driving off, leaving the city behind.

Later That Night

Ethan could feel the car he was in slowly moving over small bumps in the road every so often as he kept his eyes closed. The blanket the stranger had provided him was soft and fuzzy, and he liked the warmth it was providing him. Ethan's stomach rumbled slightly, but he was glad it wasn't as bad as it had been the past few days. Ethan turned his head to the side he knew the driver would be before they came over another large bump.

"Is it possible to stop the car?" Ethan asked, his voice barely a whisper before he felt the car begin to slow down before coming to a halt.

"Are you okay?" Benny asked, before he felt Ethan tap his hands along the dashboard before gripping his arm and then moving their way up to his face. Ethan slowly moved his fingers over his saviors face as he started to create a mental image of what he looked like. He finally finished as he traced his fingers around the guy's chin before tracing them down his neck.

"I just wanted to know what you looked like...your the first person I've heard since all of this started. How bad is it...out here?" Ethan asked, Benny looking forward as he gripped the steering wheel before resting his head against the seat.

"All communication with the outside world was lost about two weeks after Toronto was exposed to the virus. We lost contact with all local government and military three weeks after it hit. I was on the road in my car following the evacuation route outside of my hometown back in WhiteChapel whenever there was this flash in the sky, brighter than anything I had ever seen before. The military was using nuclear weapons to try and stop the spread of infection, but it didn't work. Before the stations went dark, I heard that the United States government had fallen and many other governments over in Europe and Asia were suffering the same fate. I've been traveling the country by myself since then, trying to scavenge supplies and food where I can. That's why I was rummaging through your apartment complex, got more than supplies though as you can tell." Benny said with a slight chuckle before quieting down again.

"So there's no hope...none at all of any salvation?" Ethan asked, his voice soft and weary.

"I wouldn't say that, I've been getting scrambled communications that there's a place out in California that can provide refuge. That's where I was heading...the life we knew prior may be gone, but that doesn't mean we quit fighting to survive." Benny said before stepping on the gas and driving off again, Ethan silently listening next to him.

**Please Review!**


	5. She Didn't Come Back

**Hello again my readers, I'm back with another chapter. Please enjoy! More shall come tomorrow when I have slept and I can have my cup of coffee. Enjoy this one for now. Review!**

_Benny sat there inside of a hospital waiting room, his head held up above his knee's by his hands as he listened to one of the nurses type away on a computer at the nearby Nurse Station. He looked up and saw the TV on before a elderly man walked up to it and began to turn the volume up._

"_Reports of mass rioting have been reported in Toronto tonight as government officials scramble to contain the virus within the city. Similar riots can be seen along the Canadian border as refugee's from the United States cross over illegally into Canada, sending the cities along the border into mass hysteria." came a news reporters voice as Benny looked back down at the floor, a few tears escaping his eyes as he covered his face with his hands and wept. He clutched his hands together tightly as he tried to push the bad thoughts away. Benny sat back in his chair as he looked around the room, many other people in similar situations and positions. He could see a elderly woman sitting two seats down from him, her face hidden by a small head wrap as she held a cane in her hands. He looked to his other side where a young man sat there, holding a young girl with bruises along her face and a bite mark on her arm as she cried into his chest quietly._

"_Mr Weir?" came a soft voice as Benny turned to see a doctor opening a door from the Emergency Room, a clipboard in his hand._

"_That's me." Benny responded, grabbing his jacket from the seat next to him as he stood up and walked over to the doctor, her caramel eyes watching his every move as he got closer._

"_Sir...my team and I have tried everything we could to try and save your partner. He lost too much blood from the wound, there's not much time left. I recommend you say your goodbyes now before it's too late." the woman said, brushing aside some of her black hair as Benny stood there. He looked down from her as the news sunk in, memories running through his mind as his heart seemed to pause for a minute. Benny nodded his head as he let the doctor lead him through the doors and down a white and sterile hallway. She stopped beside a doorway with a red tag pointing out on the side as Benny looked at her before looking into the room where a blond haired man laid in bed._

"_He's on a lot of pain medication right now, he may seem very drowsy. Take as much time as you need, I'll be waiting outside." the woman said as Benny watched her take her leave before walking into the room and setting his jacket down at the foot of the bed._

"_Hey sweetie...how are you feeling?" Benny said in a whisper as he pulled a chair up next to the bed, the man turning to look at him as his eyes seemed to focus more._

"_I...feel...very light." the man replied, Benny chuckling as he brought up a hand and brushed his fingers across the man's face as the other seemed to lean into the touch._

"_Am I going to be okay?" he asked, Benny trying his hardest to choke back a sudden sob as he nodded his head and smiled._

"_Yea, doctor says your going to be just fine. She let me come in to say goodnight, she said the pain medication should make you fall asleep here shortly." Benny said, his eyes watering like crazy as he turned his head away for a minute and wiped the tears away._

"_I can't believe that man got the upper hand on me...I shouldn't have walked down that alleyway." the man said as Benny drew his hand across the soft bed sheets before taking the man's hand in his and tracing his thumb over it._

"_Everything is going to be alright, tomorrow you get to come back home and I'll make you your favorite dinner and dessert." Benny said with a heartfelt smile, his lover smiling warmly at him._

"_That sounds nice...I can't wait to get out of here." he said once more, Benny just chuckling again as he looked down at his feet before returning his gaze back._

"_Rory...I just want you to know that I love you very much. You mean so much to me, I can't even put it to words." Benny said, choking back another sob as Rory raised a hand and touched his cheek lightly._

"_You make it sound like I'm not going to make it, everything's going to be fine babe." Rory said in response, Benny biting his lower lip as he nodded his head in agreement before leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Rory's upper body. He listened to Rory's heartbeat, noticing how it was getting slower and slower._

"_I just want you to know that okay, and that I've enjoyed my life with you ever since we met. Your such a caring and loving person, never change okay?" Benny asked, leaning back as he quickly wiped a few tears away before Rory could notice._

"_Of course babe...I'll always be here." Rory said, his voice growing softer as his eyes found it harder to stay open. Benny reached out and gripped his hand tightly as Rory smiled at him, gripping his hand back with less intensity._

"_I love you Ben, your my boo." Rory said with a airy chuckle, his eyes closing for a few seconds before opening again._

"_I love you too Rory, always will." Benny said, his face falling as Rory's smile began to fade away before his eyes closed. Benny looked down at their intertwined hands, Rory's hand slowly losing it's grip on his._

"_Rory...Rory don't fall asleep. Stay awake!" Benny said, slightly reaching over and patting Rory's chest firmly. Rory's eyes remained closed as Benny finally let a sob escape as his chest heaved before he began to pat Rory's chest harder._

"_Rory...don't leave me, wake up! Don't leave me-e-e-e!" Benny sobbed as he rested his head onto Rory's chest and began to sob loudly._

Benny awoke suddenly with a startle as he sat up with sweat dripping from his hair, he looked over to see Ethan sitting there listening as he held up a blanket to his chest. He had forgotten that they had moved to the back of the van after putting the seats down and covering the windows with blankets.

"Are you okay?" came Ethan's soft and raspy voice, Benny curling his knee's up to his chest as he wiped the sweat away from his forehead.

"Yea...just a nightmare is all. Did you get any sleep at all?" Benny asked, turning his gaze back to Ethan who was sitting against the side of the van with a blanket curled around him.

"I was too cold...I couldn't stop shivering." Ethan replied, Benny noticing the slight quiver in the smaller one's voice as he took notice of how cold it was in the van.

"Come here, you need sleep or else you'll be too tired to function." Benny said, Ethan turning his head in his direction as before slowly crawling over to Benny's side.

"What do you suggest?" Ethan asked softly, a small whimper escaping his lips as Benny laid him back down before covering them both up with a second cover before cuddling up next to him.

"What are you doing!?" Ethan asked, his body growing tense and stiff as Benny looked at him before shaking it off.

"Your body is too cold by itself, and a simple blanket won't do much in this kind of cold. By having our bodies pressed together, they will begin to regulate and share body heat. It'll be kinda like turning our bodies into one big heater, now relax and try to get some sleep." Benny said as Ethan clung onto his blanket, pondering over the idea before finally relaxing a bit more. Benny felt as Ethan turned over on his side, his body still a bit tense as Benny draped his arm around the smaller of the two's chest and brought him in closer for warmth.

"I miss her...and Samuel." Ethan whispered, Benny opening his eyes as he felt Ethan's chest begin to quiver slightly.

"Who's her?" Benny asked, leaning up on his elbow as Ethan turned around until he was back on his back, his eyes still closed.

"Sarah, she was my roommate and my best friend. We've been friends since we were freshman in high school together. She helped me through my parent's death, and she's been there for me ever since." Ethan said, his eyes watering at the edges as Benny remembered the woman from the pictures. He had seen the same woman wandering the street before they left, infected and bloodied.

"What happen to her?" Benny asked, his breath hitching in his throat as Ethan sniffled slightly before he opened his eyes. Benny looked down into the milky haze over them, a beautiful oak brown color resting just below the cloud of white.

"She went out to take my guide dog to get a haircut. I was at home by myself whenever I first heard a wreck and then some gunshots and screams. It all happened so quickly, I didn't know what to do. She had called and told me that she was at the store with Samuel and she would come find me as soon as she could. That was the last I ever heard from her...I locked the door and waited for her to return but she never did. I waited every day in the living room, waited to hear her knock on the door and come in with Samuel but she never came!" Ethan said, his eyes closing again as more tears erupted from within them. Ethan cried out as Benny looked around quickly before taking the other into his arms and putting his head onto his shoulder to try and muffle the sound.

"She never came back! She...n-never came back-k-k!" Ethan said as he took in a gasp of air before sobbing again into Benny's shoulder. Benny felt his heart sink as he rubbed Ethan's back tenderly, feeling Ethan's brown hair pressed up against his cheek as he closed his eyes and listened.

"Let it out Ethan...just let it out." Benny said as the smaller male just sobbed, before long his cries had died down to soft sniffles as Benny reached his free hand up and slowly began to massage Ethan's head.

"What am I going to do now? My family, my friend, my dog, their all gone." Ethan whispered into the crook of Benny's neck as Benny opened his eyes again.

"Your going to move on and survive, for them. I'm going to teach you how to fight tomorrow and defend yourself. As much as I'd love to make sure you didn't have to, I won't always be able to protect you." Benny replied back, Ethan leaning back and breaking the embrace as he rubbed his eyes and wiped his face off.

"How are you going to teach a blind person to fight...it's useless, should have left me behind." Ethan said softly before Benny threw his hands up into the air before throwing them down onto Ethan's shoulders.

"Damnit Ethan, enough! You are not useless, or anything of the sort. Your blindness does not make you useless, it makes you unique. No one is useless, not a single person out there. You have got to learn to quit thinking that way...your not a nobody Ethan. You were somebody to Sarah, to Samuel, to your parents...to me. You've kept me company since this morning, and I love having someone around me...not being so alone anymore...it keeps me going. This world isn't what it use to be, it's filled with death and darkness now! My hometown is nothing more than a hole in the ground, my friends and family are gone, I have nobody left...except you now. You are not a nobody Ethan...just because your blind doesn't mean your not useful. If you'd just open your heart, you could see with that, see how much your worth and see how valuable your life is...especially now." Benny said, Ethan sitting there for a moment before looking up with a small smile on his lips and a tear running down his cheek.

Ethan rubbed his eyes once more as he stifled back a sniffle before looking back down once more.

"As for your training, well blind people have a very acute sense of smell and hearing. I'll be teaching you how to hone those senses and use them to your advantage, but as for now we need to get some sleep." Benny said, Ethan nodding his head as he laid back down. Benny laid next to him as he covered them back up and draped his arm over Ethan once more, the smaller male no longer tense as before.

"Goodnight Benny...and thank you." Ethan said as Benny nodded his head in response, keeping him close to him.

"No problem Ethan...now rest." Benny said softly, closing his eyes once more as they both began to drift off to the winter wind outside the car.

**So, what do y'all think! Please review!**


	6. You Can Do This

**Hello my fans, this my last update of the day. Technically it's yesterday but I'm going to bed soon. Enjoy!**

Ethan stood there, the cold winter air brushing past his face as he shivered lightly. He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he looked around to his side.

"Ethan...just relax. Nothing is going to hurt you out here, not as long as I'm near. Now I'm going to give you this stick, it's just a regular stick and won't do much damage. I'll be pouring a bottle of cologne onto another stick for you to smell and I'll be using a piece of paper to crumple for sound. Whenever you hear or smell them, you swing your stick in that direction okay?" Benny said, placing his hands onto Ethan's shoulders as Ethan nodded his head after a few seconds of silence. Ethan felt Benny's hands disappear, finally standing alone as he felt a shiver go down his spine from the cold. Ethan reached out instinctively, wanting something to grab onto and hold as he felt fear begin to rise up within him. He turned around as the wind howled in the nearby valley, snow beginning to fall onto his cheeks and hair.

"Benny...come back." Ethan whispered, kneeling down as he felt his fear begin to overtake him. He stared at the never ending darkness, the cold beginning to nip at his skin as he patted his hands across the grass covered ground.

"Where are you...please come back!" Ethan cried, patting the ground around him as he drew his hands to his chest and began to cry softly from fear. Ethan felt a hand touch his shoulder before hollering out and jumping back, scooting away as he screamed.

"Ethan! It's just me! Your okay!" Benny hollered out, Ethan stalling his sobs as he whimpered once more, hearing Benny walk over to him as leaves crunched beneath his shoes.

"I can't do it Benny...I just can't do it. I can't see anything...every time you leave me, it feels so alone and dark." Ethan said, his voice quivering before he felt Benny take hold of his shoulders and draw him in close.

"Breathe...just breathe. I know it's hard Ethan, I can't imagine what it must be like. You have got to learn this though, there's no avoiding it. I can not protect you from everything out here, I wish I could. If you don't learn to protect yourself and use your skills, you will die Ethan." Benny said softly, Ethan wanting to just break down and cry but knowing he couldn't. Ethan wiped at his eyes before nodding his head, standing up and grabbing his stick once more.

"Okay, let's do this again. I'm not going to leave you Ethan, your in my eyesight at all times. Now just listen for the paper and try to smell the cologne." Benny said, letting go of Ethan's shoulders as Ethan took a deep breath before taking a stance. Several minutes went by as Ethan listened to the wind continue to howl around him. He could fell the snow was getting heavier as bigger flakes began to brush up against his cheeks. He tilted his head to the side as a strong musky scent overtook his nostrils, suddenly turning his head to the left as he swung his stick that way.

"There ya go! Good job, now let's try again!" came Benny's voice as Ethan let out a chuckle, his chest being overwhelmed with a bit of excitement. He stood his ground as several more minutes seem to pass by, before hearing the sound of paper being ripped and crumbled before swinging his stick behind him.

"Awesome job E!" Benny hollered out, making Ethan blush somewhat at the sudden nickname before he continue to chuckle more.

Later That Day

Ethan sat inside the back of the van, the air cold and biting as he brought a second blanket around his body before leaning his head up against the cold blanket covering the window.

"Hey Benny...you awake?" Ethan asked, listening as Benny moved slightly inside the van nearby.

"Yea E, what's up?" Benny asked, his voice slightly groggy as Ethan kept his head leaned up against the blanket.

"What does the night sky look like? I know it's a dumb question...but I'd really like to know." Ethan asked, reaching up and tracing his fingers across the scratchy fabric before retracting his fingers back into his jacket pocket.

"Well...I'm not really sure how to put it. You remember what light looks like right?" Benny asked, his voice closer now as Ethan listened to the taller male scoot closer to him.

"Yea...I vaguely remember certain colors and things like that." Ethan responded, his voice raspy and dry from the cold.

"Okay, well imagine a huge black sheet of paper or fabric or whichever. Now imagine if you took a small sewing needle and just punched hole after hole into that paper, small holes bigger than others at times. Now also imagine if you then took a very bright light and put it behind the piece of paper before turning on the light, every little hole would begin to shine. Now imagine if some of those holes shimmer with a bit of red or blue to them, those are planets. These holes are then constantly moving across the sky, they never stay in one place for long as the Earth moves. Now imagine taking a piece of scissors and cutting a big hole into the paper, that would be the moon. It's like a giant star in the sky, except it's the moon." Benny said, Ethan flinching out of surprise when he felt Benny take his hand and begin to draw his finger across the blanket.

"Now some of these stars make shapes or constellations, this is the big dipper." Benny said, taking Ethan's finger as he traced the outline of a big pot. Ethan smiled at Benny's attempt to try and teach him, his heart slightly fluttering for the first time as he chuckled and tried to imagine it all.

"It sounds...majestic. Sounds like something you could just look up into and get lost in." Ethan stated, his smile continuing to grow as Benny traced the shapes of other constellations.

"It is, my mother and I use to sit outside on dark nights and watch the stars together. She use to tell me that every star I saw was meant for somebody special, past, present, or future. She'd always tell me that there was a star out there for me, just shimmering like a small diamond in the sky." Benny said with a certain fondness in his voice.

"I wish I could see it...I wish I could see a lot of things." Ethan said, his smile fading as a frown replaced it.

"You can Ethan, just not with your eyes. With a bit of description and a little imagination, you can see anything you want." Benny replied back, Ethan letting go of Benny's hand as he nodded his head before feeling another shiver run through his body.

"Can we uh...well...bundle up together tonight?" Ethan asked, feeling his cheeks go hot as he ran a hand through his hair before hearing Benny begin to chuckle lightly.

"Of course Ethan, just come over here." Benny said, Ethan scooting into the center of the van as he laid down onto a bunch of blankets and pillows piled together like a small cocoon.

"Just lay down and relax. Tomorrow we will finish your training and get back on the road." Benny said, finally coming to lay next to Ethan before throwing a arm around his upper waist. Ethan tensed up slightly at the sensation but quickly relaxed, oddly liking the feeling of Benny's arm securely wrapped around him.

"Goodnight Benny...thank you for everything you've done for me." Ethan whispered softly, pulling the blanket up to his chin as Benny's face nestled next to the back of his head.

"It's no problem E...just sleep for now." Benny said, throwing a few more blankets over them to contain the body heat. Ethan felt as warmth began to return to his body, especially his toes in which he began to curl up and release happily. Ethan genuinely smiling to himself, the thoughts of everything that had transpired seeming to melt away for a few brief moments. He wasn't sure why he felt so happy, but with Benny at his side he knew it must of have something to do with him. Ethan finally let his mind die down as his eyes began to grow heavy before feeling himself drift off to sleep.

**Please review! Goodnight y'all!**


	7. A Promise Made

**I know I haven't updated a lot today but I worked and got home and was exhausted. Please enjoy this new chapter, review!**

Twenty-Four Hours after Border Collapse

Sarah ran through the street, her breath growing ragged and sharp as Samuel ran alongside her. Sarah looked off to her side at a burning house, a woman holding a gun as she cried over a child's body in the front yard. Sarah heard screaming from behind her as she stopped and turned around, a bus swerving through the street and hitting parked cars before finally swerving sideways and tipping over. She jumped out of the way as the bus skidded past her, smashing into another car as screams erupted from inside the vehicle.

"Oh my God." Sarah said, wiping the sweat away from her forehead as she began to limp forward as Samuel barked at her side. She could see the apartment building in the distance, a smile growing on her face as she thought of Ethan.

"Come on boy, we are almost home! Ethan's waiting for us boy!" Sarah said, trying to retain her strength as she limped across the sidewalk. People ran screaming through the street as others began to go through manic and psychopathic episodes of screaming and snarling at everyone. Sarah felt as a growing pain shot up her leg and through her spine, the veins in her abdomen beginning to turn black. She ran up to the doors of the apartment building, her lungs wheezing by now as she knelt down and felt her legs begin to stiffen up. She could see that the front doors to the complex were now barred with filing cabinets as she smashed her bloody hand against the glass. Sarah looked behind her as a infected woman chased a teenage girl through the streets, her hands outstretched as she snarled and screamed at the girl. A car sat off to the side, it's body firmly imbedded into a coffee shop as it burned. Sarah felt her head begin to grow increasingly dizzy as she smashed her fist through the glass, shattering it.

"Go...get Ethan boy." Sarah wheezed, the dog whimpering at her as she smiled down at him as she laid down onto the ground. "Go on now...Ethan's waiting for you." Sarah said softly, her voice barely a whisper now as the dog stepped forward and licked her face before squeezing through the broken glass and into the apartment complex. Sarah looked up into the night sky, smoke clouds billowing into the night as she began to cough. She could feel the virus begin to infiltrate her head as the veins in her neck began to turn black.

"Ethan...I'm sorry, forgive me." Sarah said, blood beginning to trickle down from her nose as she looked up at the stars one last time. She felt her eyes close, not hearing the sound of a dog screaming and yelping from behind the door as she took her last breath.

A Few Months Later

Ethan stood out in the cold, his nose growing increasingly numb as he held a stick in his hands and traced his fingers over the uneven wood.

"Okay, great work E. Now I want you to listen to my voice, because these things won't always sneak up on you. Some of them will be loud, some of them will scream and snarl. Whenever I whistle at you, I want you to try and focus in on my voice and face in the direction you think I am." he heard Benny said, weighting his grip over the stick as he nodded his head in understanding. Ethan stood there motionless, the wind continuing to howl as he listened to the crunch of snow as Benny walked off somewhere. After several minutes, he heard a soft and low whistle come from his right side as he turned and pointed off in that direction. Silence followed a fit of clapping as Ethan smiled to himself, positioning himself again as the regular crunch of snow faded away nearby.

"Stay right there Ethan, I've got to get something from the van." came Benny's voice as Ethan's smiled faltered slightly. He stood there as the following moments passed, listening to the snow fall around him before he heard more crunching in his direction. Ethan smiled as he pointed his stick in front of him, silence only following in return as Ethan waited for Benny's usual clapping or congratulatory praise.

"Benny..you there?" Ethan asked, the sound of footsteps approaching him growing louder and quicker.

"Yea E, I'm over here." came Benny's voice from another direction as Ethan finally picked up on the smell of dead flesh before a loud snarl erupted from somewhere next to him. Ethan screamed out as he backed up and fell over, holding his stick up as something fell on top of him and began to scream at him as something wet dripped onto his face.

"Ethan!" came Benny's voice as Ethan held the infected person at bay by holding his arms out, crying as the thing continued to scream and try and grab him. Suddenly a loud gunshot rang out as Ethan felt more wet liquid splatter over his face and neck before the person slumped off to the side. Ethan turned over as he crawled away, crying hysterically as he tried to pat his hands against the ground and find something to hide behind. He suddenly felt as two arms grabbed him, screaming out even louder before he was pulled into a warm embrace. Ethan could only whimper at this point as he sobbed, feeling as Benny picked him up from the ground and rushed him off. He felt as Benny placed him down into the van before closing the door behind them.

"Oh my God, Ethan I'm so sorry! I didn't even see it coming with all the snow falling around us, I'm so sorry!" Benny said as Ethan felt him hug him tightly, Ethan gripping onto him for dear life as he curled up to Benny's body. He felt as the hot tears continued to fall down his face over the frozen trails of the previous ones, burying his face into Benny's chest.

"You left me...you left me alone, just like Sarah." Ethan cried out, his body trembling from the adrenaline rush as he felt Benny begin to shake his head.

"I didn't mean to leave you Ethan, I'm sorry. I came back though, that's what is important. I came back, I'm not going anywhere. I'm here to stay, your my friend now E...I promise I'll never leave you again." Benny whispered, Ethan's cries finally dying down into soft drawn out whimpers as he held onto the taller of the two. Ethan felt as Benny slowly leaned him back, his grip tightening onto him as he felt Benny lay down next to him and draw him closer for warmth.

"We can't stay here for much longer anymore...others would've heard that shot and it'll draw them to us. I've got to get us back on the road Ethan, just stay here and remain bundled up okay?" Benny said, Ethan clutching onto him, not wanting him to leave.

"Ethan, I have to. That was just one, that shot will draw dozens of them out from miles away. I'm going to be just up front, I won't go anywhere. Just bundle up and I'll get us out of here." Benny said softly, Ethan finally letting his grip go after several long moments as he felt Benny get up and jump into the front of the car. He pulled the pillows and blankets close to him as he felt the car begin to drive off, Ethan already beginning to miss the warmth that Benny's body provided.

**Here y'all go! Review!**


	8. False Hope

**Here is another chapter for you enjoy! Please review!**

One Week After Border Collapse

Thirty Miles outside WhiteChapel

Benny sat there in traffic as cars waited both in front and behind them, all of them filled with agitated drivers as military personnel walked up and down the road with guns at the ready.

"Sweetie, you know I can't leave. I've got my mother to look after here at the nursing home, just be careful out on the road. They've barred the doors here, grandma and I will be safe." Mrs. Weir said over the radio as Benny hit his head against the wheel as he sighed in defeat.

"Mom...I've already lost Rory...I can't lose you two either." Benny said, choking back a sob as the fresh pain of losing Rory erupted back inside his mind.

"Hunny...you know I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am. Rory was like my own son...I loved him very much too." Mrs. Weir said, clearly crying on the other end as Benny leaned back against the seat and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I just can't believe he's gone mom...if I had just been there when he was coming home...he wouldn't have gotten jumped in that alleyway." Benny said, traffic at a complete standstill as he felt another round of sobs burst from his eyes.

"Sweetie, don't forget that I too know the same pain. When I lost your father...God was I a mess. It took me years to get over it...I still mourn that man today. Your grandma and I are here for you sweetie." Mrs. Weir said over the radio as Benny wiped his eyes again before turning his attention to a pair of jets flying overhead.

"He didn't even get a proper burial...I didn't even get time to grab some of our personal things before the military began evacuating the hospital. Is it bad over there mom?" Benny asked, remembering the riots he had seen going on in Toronto.

"We've got security here at the nursing home, but I still hear gunshots going off from outside and screams. It's horrible Benny...I wish we could have evacuated with you but they said it was too late for our section of the city." Mrs. Weir said, Benny shaking his head as he slid down in his seat and looked at the ceiling of the car.

"I love you mom...please be safe. I don't know how long this thing is going to last or how bad it'll get before they get it under control, just be safe though." Benny said back, rubbing his hand through his hair in frustration as traffic remained still.

"We love you too swee-" his mother began before a heavy interference interrupted the call, a huge light bathing the whole road as Benny felt a shock wave hit the vehicle. Benny stepped out of the car as he held his hands up to shield his eyes, watching as other drivers did the same. He could see a mushroom cloud rising in the far distance where WhiteChapel had been.

"Mom...grandma." Benny whispered, feeling his legs give out as he fell against his car and began to sob, the cloud rising further and further into the sky as it pierced the heavens.

Months Later

Benny sat there in the back of the van, pressing a cold rag to Ethan's forehead as he watched beads of sweat run down the smaller one's face. Benny looked around the van to see if there was anything that could help, looking back to Ethan in defeat several minutes later.

"It hurts." Ethan whispered, Benny reaching over and gripping Ethan's arm as he slowly rubbed his thumb over the skin.

"I know it hurts E...I just don't have anything to take the fever down. We are just a few smiles away from Detroit...I know I can find you some antibiotics of some sort." Benny replied back, watching as Ethan nodded his head slowly. Benny leaned down and placed his forehead against Ethan's, feeling Ethan's moist breath on his lips as he checked the fever. He retracted his head back as he looked outside at the heavy snowstorm pummeling the road, he knew he couldn't drive in this and risk both of them getting seriously hurt or worse. He reached over and dipped the rag back into a bucket of ice water before wringing it out and placing it back onto Ethan's forehead. Benny reached under the hem of Ethan's shirt and began to tug it upward, the smaller male complying as he put up no resistance.

"I've got to make sure your core temperature doesn't go up any more or it could result in brain damage." Benny said, Ethan's lips curving into a faint smile.

"I'm already blind, what the hell else could go wrong?" Ethan said with a slight chuckle which began to turn into a bad cough.

"Well, you could end up deaf or stupid too. Shall we add on to your disability list?" Benny said back, earning a chuckle from Ethan as he pressed another cool rag to Ethan's neck and chest. Benny felt a blush overcome his cheeks as he looked down at Ethan's frail chest, noticing how his ribs didn't stick out as badly as they had when they first met.

"I'm going to sleep now...I'm tired." Ethan said, rolling off onto his side as Benny put the rag back into the water and laid down next to the smaller male.

"E...promise me you'll wake back up?" Benny asked, fear evident in his voice as he remembered Rory falling asleep back in the hospital before never waking up again.

"I promise...just for..you though." Ethan said with another chuckle as Benny smiled, feeling the heat radiate from his back as he brought a cover over on himself. Benny felt his chest flutter inside as Ethan draped a arm behind him and took his hand in his, clearly weak from the illness as his fingers barely closed around his. Benny grasped them lightly, enjoying the small sentiment of trust and bonding. Benny closed his eyes as the wind howled outside of the van, listening to Ethan's shallow breaths.

"Do you think my grandma and sister are still alive?" came Ethan's voice once more as Benny opened his eyes, silence following as he noticed Ethan was now facing him. Benny looked down at where their hands had been intertwined and figured he must have dosed off longer than he thought.

"I honestly don't know E, but I'm sure if they are that they are just as worried about you as you are about them." Benny replied, watching as Ethan let a lone tear make it's way down the side of his face.

"I'm sure they are both looking for me...maybe they will meet us in California! Maybe they heard the transmission too...do you think so?" Ethan asked, a new profound hope in his voice as Benny looked down for a moment.

"Yea E...I'm sure they are heading there right now to look for you." Benny said, knowing it probably wasn't true. He looked up and saw the smile on Ethan's face as more sweat began to pool around his forehead and drip down.

"I can't wait to see them again...and you'll be with me." Ethan whispered softly, his voice growing tired as he yawned before coughing again.

"Of course...now let's get some sleep." Benny said, intertwining their hands once more before drifting off.

**Short I know, but hopefully good nonetheless.**


End file.
